Not sure about the extra hunger factor. I just know that I have to exercise a HECK of a long time to work off 2 Oreo cookies. I have always felt that to lose weight, it is about the diet. For cardiovascular health, it is all about the exercise. For weight maintenance, it is about the TWO to get to that nirvana state of optimal health...

I actually hadn't exercised at all for the first three weeks of my diet, and I lost almost 15 lbs. This week I've exercised for an hour 4 days in a row, and I haven't lost a single pound. It definitely makes me think..lol

Sigh. This article annoys me because I feel it gives the OK stamp on not exercising.

Yes it's diet mostly, but you can lose a lot more weight with exercise. I'd lose about 1 per week if I didn't work out at this point in my journey and I'd have to lower my calories. I rather work out eat slightly more and feel that my lifestyle was more reasonably sustainable.

Exercise makes me LESS hungry (with the exception of swimming) not more and boosts my mood (so I'm less enclined to emotionally eat). I'm leaner, more compact and wear a smaller size then I would if I didn't exercise. It's not all about the number.

Yes, people need to learn how to balance the deficit. No you can't eat an extra muffin because you worked out. The general public doesn't understand that.

BUT...exercise has lots of other health benefits, and a lot of those benefits have helped me lose weight.

For example, when I exercise, I tend to make better food choices as the day goes on. That helps me stick to my plan. Exercise also helps me respect and honor my body, which makes me want to give it better fuel. It helps me sleep, too, and lack of sleep is also associated with trouble losing weight. It helps me moderate depression and anxiety I've dealt with since my teen years, which also makes it easier to focus myself on healthy behaviors.

The extra calories burned is just gravy, for me (and, of course, as a calorie counter, I'm very aware of my calories in, and don't let exercise effect my intake anyway. I haven't noticed extra hunger, but if I have some, it doesn't make me eat more in any case).

What frustrates me is that they said "Exercise won't make you thin", rather than the more accurate "Exercise ALONE won't make you thin". I still believe it's an important part of weight loss and a more important part of maintenance for most people, but you can't rely on it by itself to cause weight loss.

Weight loss for me has always been diet related. I've been active all my life - and overweight all my life. I liked the article because it seems that the general public believes "Exercise = Weight Loss" which is really not true. That's why our society tends to think "fat = lazy" and that is NOT ACCURATE. The majority of my girl friends are normal weight, and I exercise/am more active than every one of them. They just know how to eat properly.

As for the increased hunger issue - it honestly depends on how much I exercise. I try to time exercise right before I eat (breakfast or dinner) so I'm eating already. I'm on WW so I can see, okay, just earned this many Activity Points so I can eat this many points + activity points if I want, but lots of times I don't need the APs - its just all about eating the right foods, etc. I read once that in most cases, your body doesn't need "extra" food after exercise - its just that exercise is a stress, so your body's natural response to stress is to want food, hence the extra hunger pangs. But once your body gets used to the exercise, it doesn't feel "stressed" any more, so no more hunger pangs.

I agree that for HEALTHY weight loss and maintenance you should use a combination of diet and exercise, but there are many cases where it has been done without exercise.

__________________~Jennierose~
You must save yourself or remain unsaved - Alice SeboldIt's a very rare person who is taken for what he truly is.

For me, I've noticed that when I am on summer break (I'm a kindergarten teacher) I tend to not be as hungry throughout the day, but when I get back to school and get REAL BUSY, I am starving my 10am! I strongly believe the more active you are, the more you burn and the more your body wants to refuel itself.

I'm a person who would rather lose weight naturally by using the stairs instead of elevator, park away from the store instead of close, and basically not do things the "lazy", convenient way. I hate gyms and forced exercise. I know a lot of people who are slim and never purposely work out. They do it by having active lifestyles. I tend to watch them for encouragement and support. But that's just me.

The article seemed to be saying this: "If you exercise and then reward yourself with a huge Starbuck's muffin and a quart of Gatorade, you won't lose weight." My answer to this is: Well, DUH! If people are really doing this--eating above and beyond what they have burned in exercising, then of course they won't lose weight. It's basic math, and it's kind of suprising to me that anyone would be suprised by this as the author seems to be.

I know that, for me, some kind of exercise has usually been necessary for me to lose at anything other than a glacial pace. Not only does it help me lose weight, but as Mandalinn states, it helps me to sleep, reduce stress and anxiety, and feel less depressed in general.

So, no thanks--I like sitting on the couch and knitting, but I'll save that for winter. And I would write more, but I gotta go--it's time for my 3.5 mile brisk walk.

I kind of "resent" the articles implication that exercise=hunger=blueberrymuffin

That old adage that if you "just didnt eat junk food" you wouldnt be fat again.

I dont eat more after working out because I "think I deserve fatty foods" I am HUNGRY. And I can supress that, it takes about 3 weeks of torture and my workouts go to heck. And when I am training...ugh. I could skip the carbs in the dinner but then good luck with speedwork the next day.

But then I got fat on having an extra helping of roasted veggies and an extra bit of oatmeal etc. etc. I've never been a junk food junkie. I was fat in 6th grade and had junk food maybe 1-2 times a year growing up. I just plain have an enormous appetite. I remember being really shocked once when I added up the calories in my healthy all natural clean eating breakfast. It was just plain too MUCH.

Exercise is vital to my mental state, but it doesnt do much for my weight loss.

__________________
Lost successfully, maintained successfully. Followed by a whole lot of setbacks and obstacles. Starting over with the knowledge gained before.

Sigh. This article annoys me because I feel it gives the OK stamp on not exercising.

Yes it's diet mostly, but you can lose a lot more weight with exercise. I'd lose about 1 per week if I didn't work out at this point in my journey and I'd have to lower my calories. I rather work out eat slightly more and feel that my lifestyle was more reasonably sustainable.

Exercise makes me LESS hungry (with the exception of swimming) not more and boosts my mood (so I'm less enclined to emotionally eat). I'm leaner, more compact and wear a smaller size then I would if I didn't exercise. It's not all about the number.

Yes, people need to learn how to balance the deficit. No you can't eat an extra muffin because you worked out. The general public doesn't understand that.

My body works like yours. I use that less hungry period after exercise to do my grocery shopping so not tempted to buy things I shouldn't. Except for the day I made the mistake of grocery shopping after swimming laps for 65 minutes! The sort of good news is the bad choices never made it to my kitchen. The bad news is because I ate them in the car...

But my real life calorie needs are so low (I'm a programmer working from my home, I don't even get activity of getting ready for work) that to cut them for a decent calorie deficit without exercise I'd be starving and wouldn't last.

My body works like yours. I use that less hungry period after exercise to do my grocery shopping so not tempted to buy things I shouldn't. Except for the day I made the mistake of grocery shopping after swimming laps for 65 minutes! The sort of good news is the bad choices never made it to my kitchen. The bad news is because I ate them in the car...

But my real life calorie needs are so low (I'm a programmer working from my home, I don't even get activity of getting ready for work) that to cut them for a decent calorie deficit without exercise I'd be starving and wouldn't last.

Yeah, same here I work from home (artist). My bodybugg says I get something like 1700 for a non-activity day. If I get 1700 at just over 200lbs how much would I get at 150? And how could I possibly cut back much on food at that point? I'd be STARVING. As it is now I shoot for 1500 but I'm not strict about it and I have the leeway for extra calories if I need them. I burn 2500-3000 most days because of my training/exercise. That creates a MUCH better deficit.

Excercise is to dieting as emergency fund is to budgeting. I'm having to learn this one myself. When I started out I watched calories and worked out but I was always over my calories for the days I worked out alot or spent the whole day starving (it doesn't help that my work out days started 4 hours earlier than my non working out days). Since then I almost entirely stopped working out and while I'm staying on track better with dieting my weight loss has really slowed?

Why? Because calories you should eat is based on activity. I'm a pretty analitical person so my weight loss plan is to eat no less than my BMR and no more than the number of calories that the Harris Benedict Formula says you will maintain on. At sedentary (even with a little excercise) the multiplier is 1.2. A .2 difference!! In my case that's a difference of 380 calories between maximum healthy loss and gain. That's a couple of tablespoons of regular dressing instead of light! Lightly excercise 3 times a week and it goes up to .375 or 780 calories a day. Moderate excecise pushes it over 1000. So yes I'm hungier when I excercise but if I'm rarely 1000 calories a day hungrier.

Without excercising it's like scraping by budgetwise paycheck to paycheck. One flat tire or blown gasket can put you behind your budget for a month. With excercise it's like having a part time job. Yes you lose a little free time and maybe your new job has it's own expenses (work uniforms, extra gas or just eating out more often) but it gives you a cushion when times are tough.

__________________
Short term goals:
242: Lowest weight in college
Comfortable and flattering size 22: Smallest college size

Long term goals:
Running 5K
20k biking without stopping to walk
Shopping at regular stores for the first time ever!!
180: Lowest weight rememebered (12)
150: Goal!!

Oh yeah and the biggest advantage for me working out is that I tend to do it during times I might otherwise be tempted to snack. :P My bike trail mostly snack free and the mexican restaurant at the end of it has some healthy options if I skip the chips.

__________________
Short term goals:
242: Lowest weight in college
Comfortable and flattering size 22: Smallest college size

Long term goals:
Running 5K
20k biking without stopping to walk
Shopping at regular stores for the first time ever!!
180: Lowest weight rememebered (12)
150: Goal!!